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The Canada Post Review task force that was set up earlier this year to identify options for the future of Canada Post has released its discussion paper. The paper includes possibilities such as:

Reducing delivery frequency

Converting home delivery to community mailbox delivery

Charging people for door-to-door delivery

Changing the moratorium on post office closures in rural and small towns

Becoming an Internet service provider, but just at post offices

Using post offices as community hubs

Reviewing labour and pension costs

Providing a marijuana distribution service

Providing postal banking on a very limited scale

The discussion paper’s section on postal banking takes a very one-sided and narrow view. It claims that full-scale postal banking is unlikely to succeed within the Canadian context but says that a partnership model with banks or credit unions could be considered. The paper also says “there may be an opportunity…for corporate post offices in select under-served remote communities in line with the Task Force’s “hub” option of offering services in select communities provided financial institutions have an interest in this initiative.”

CUPW will vigorously oppose all measures that undermine public postal service and jobs.

Next steps

On September 26th, a parliamentary committee will begin consulting with Canadians on postal service and the options identified by the task force. There will be online and cross-country parliamentary consultations. The committee will make recommendations to the government by year’s end.

CUPW strongly believes that Canada Post is a public service that can do more with its vast network. In the weeks to come, it will be up to us, our allies and the public to convince the parliamentary committee looking at Canada Post to NOTshut the door on our post office’s potential! We will be urging the committee to recommend against further cuts in favour of new services that generate revenues and provide a better, greener, public postal system for everyone.